EXPLORING THE RISKS OF FLUSHING ANIMAL WASTE DOWN THE TOILET

Exploring the Risks of Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet

Exploring the Risks of Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet

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We've discovered this great article about 4 Reasons Why Dog Poop Cleanup is Important listed below on the web and accepted it made good sense to share it with you on this page.


Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns
When it comes to disposing of waste, especially animal waste, lots of people often turn to the convenient alternative of flushing it down the bathroom. However, this relatively simple solution can have severe effects for the environment and public health. In this article, we'll discover why flushing animal waste down the toilet is a bad idea and offer alternate methods for proper disposal.

Intro


Proper garbage disposal is crucial for preserving environmental sustainability and public health. While it might seem harmless to purge animal waste down the bathroom, it can lead to various problems, both for the setting and human well-being.

Risks of flushing pet waste


Environmental impact


Flushing pet waste introduces unsafe bacteria and microorganisms right into rivers, which can adversely affect marine environments. These pathogens can infect water resources and damage marine life, interfering with fragile communities.

Public health concerns


Pet waste has dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present significant health threats to human beings. Flushing pet waste down the bathroom can pollute water products, bring about the spread of diseases and infections.

Alternatives to flushing


Rather than flushing animal waste down the bathroom, there are numerous alternative disposal methods that are a lot more eco-friendly and sanitary.

Composting


Composting animal waste is a green way to take care of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down right into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be used to feed yards and plants.

Landfill disposal


Throwing away animal waste in a landfill is one more choice. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a more secure alternative to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water resources.

Family pet garbage disposal systems


There are specific family pet garbage disposal systems offered that safely and hygienically deal with pet waste. These systems often make use of enzymes to break down waste and eliminate odors.

Steps to correct animal waste disposal


To guarantee correct disposal of animal waste, comply with these actions:

Scooping and nabbing waste


On a regular basis scoop and bag pet waste making use of eco-friendly bags. This protects against waste from polluting the environment.

Utilizing marked waste bins


Dispose of bagged pet waste in designated waste containers, such as garden compost containers or landfill bins. Avoid flushing it down the toilet in all expenses.

Cleaning can and pet dog areas routinely
Regularly clean litter boxes and pet dog areas to prevent the buildup of waste and microorganisms. Use pet-safe cleansing items to maintain health.

Advantages of proper disposal methods


Adopting proper disposal techniques for pet waste offers numerous benefits:

Reduced environmental pollution


Appropriate disposal approaches lower the danger of environmental pollution, safeguarding waterways and environments from contamination

Decreased threat of water contamination.


By staying clear of flushing pet waste down the commode, the risk of water contamination is considerably reduced, securing public health.

Improved cleanliness and hygiene


Proper disposal techniques advertise far better hygiene and hygiene, creating a much safer environment for both people and pets.

Conclusion


In conclusion, purging animal waste down the bathroom is harmful to the environment and public health. By taking on alternative disposal approaches and adhering to correct waste monitoring techniques, we can decrease the negative influence of animal waste and contribute to a cleaner, healthier world.

Can You Flush Dog and Cat Poo Down the Toilet?


Cat poo often contains a highly resistant parasite called Toxoplasma that can infect people and animals. Many municipal water treatments do not have equipment or processes to kill it (as they're designed for humans who don't poop this parasite!) meaning it would pass into our waterways, posing a risk to humans and animals alike. It can even prove fatal for some wildlife.



Many studies have shown that so called biodegradable and 'flushable' products, including flushable poo bags, don't actually disintegrate as claimed. This is primarily because they're designed to biodegrade in warm water, not cold water, like that in our toilets. In fact, 'flushable' poo bags have historically caused $8 million in blockages in Australia so it's not recommended to try flushing these bags, despite what they claim! The same goes for cat litter. Our old sewage systems are only designed for the 3 P's - Pee, Poo and Paper and can easily get blocked if anything else is thrown in.


So what about dog poo (without the bags)?


Again, dog poo is considerably different to human poo. It contains twice the harmful bacteria and viruses and also contains unique parasites. One particular parasite, Toxocara, is highly resistant to high temperatures. Our water treatment facilities are not designed to deal with dog poo pathogens such as this so there's a chance that they will pass through and contaminate our waterways if flushed down the toilet. Toxocara can also infect humans, causing blindness in children and infect animals so presents a public health risk. This is why many waste water treatment plants advise against flushing any type of pet poo down the toilet, due to the extra pathogens it contains.



Dog and cat poo can also contain medicines, such as parasite treatments, which can be highly toxic to aquatic life and may threaten the stability of entire ecosystems. Medicines are much trickier to clean from sewage and will likely pass unchanged into our waterways.


Scalability


There's also the question of whether flushing pet waste could really ever be a viable widespread solution. Could our old sewage systems really cope with the additional faeces of 12 million dogs and 10 million cats if everyone starting flushing their pet's poo? It's unlikely!



We contacted Wessex Water and South West Water on the matter of flushing pet poo and both gave different answers. The former advised it was safe to do so, while the latter strongly advised against it! This may be due to their different treatment processes which can vary depending on location. However both water companies agreed that you should never flush any 'flushable' products down the toilet, even if they claim to be safe to flush as in real world this just simply isn't the case and they often cause costly blockages. They emphasised that only the three P's - Poo, Paper and Pee should ever be flushed down the toilet.


Conclusion


In summary, never flush biodegradable or 'flushable' poo bags or cat litter down the toilet. We also feel it's safer to avoid flushing cat and dog faeces, due to it's pathogenic content, the unknown risks of parasite treatments and medicines on wildlife and the wider environment and due to the inconsistent advice. Dog poo may be disposed in a well managed compost or wormery, rather than down the toilet. If you are still really keen to flush pet poo, make sure you speak to your local water treatment plant before you do so, as they may or may not have the treatments to safely process it.



If you dispose of your pet's waste in general waste then ensure to do so in the most eco-friendly way by using recycled poo bags such as Award Winning ReSEAcled poo bags. Experts advice it's better to re-use waste that was already destined for landfill or incineration rather than using poo bags made form virgin materials because this helps reduce plastic production, reduce plastic pollution and cuts carbon emissions and energy use. ReSEAcled poo bags are also the world's first Plastic Negative poo bags, removing 5 times as much plastic from the environment than they use! Click here to learn more.



https://petimpact.co.uk/blogs/poo-revolution/can-you-flush-pet-poo-down-the-toilet



We had been shown that write-up about 10 Things You Should Never Flush Down The Toilet through an acquaintance on our other web blog. Sharing is nice. Helping others is fun. Many thanks for taking the time to read it.


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